Once he was out of sight, he parked and considered his options. There was nothing on this stretch but fields. The next house was several miles away. Except . . . he paused . . . the Sinclair acreage was across the field from the Malone property. Could he come in that way? Maybe the officer guarding the rear of the house would be more reasonable than the one out front.
He sent another trio of texts explaining his plan, then drove to Dev’s place and parked on the concrete apron beside the garage. He marched to the rear of the Sinclairs’ land and stood next to their old barn. Getting his bearings, Jake realized that it was less than half a mile between the two properties. In fact, he could see people moving around near the Malone back door.
As he started across the empty pasture, a sign nailed to a fence post caught his eye: PRAYER MAY BE THE BEST WAY TO FIND JESUS, BUT TRESPASSING IS FASTER.
Chuckling, he noticed that there was a path of flattened grass in the direction that he was headed. If this was the route that Gabriella had taken during her escape, why hadn’t she recognized the area yesterday when they’d driven past the Sinclair land?
Still, someone had recently used this shortcut, and he doubted it was Deveraux, her father, or grandmother. Could it have been McGowan?
Tucking that idea into the back of his mind, Jake walked the last few feet and paused at the Malone property line. The man and woman dressed in white Tyvek coveralls, booties, and rubber gloves stopped what they were doing and stared at him in silence.
Raising his voice, Jake said, “Could you please tell Chief Kincaid that Jake Del Vecchio is here and would like to speak to him?”
“Sure.” The woman stepped through the open door and yelled, “Chief, Jake Del Vecchio here to see you.” There was an indistinguishable reply, then the woman moved back out and said, “Go ahead. They’re in the parlor.”
“Thanks.” Jake touched the brim of his Stetson, then walked across the lawn.
As he neared the door, the male tech stopped him and handed him disposable covers for his boots, then said, “You need to put these on before you go inside.” After Jake complied, the man offered him a pair of gloves and added, “Wear these if you need to touch anything.”
Putting the gloves in his shirt pocket, Jake entered the kitchen and glanced at the man crouching near the body. He was wearing a black vest with the words MEDICAL EXAMINER stenciled in white. It looked as if he was taking a liver temp to get time of death. Jake nodded to the ME and then hurried down the hall.
When he found the parlor, he scanned the room for Devereaux. She was seated on a threadbare settee, staring out the window. Boone and Chief Kincaid were on the matching chairs. The chief was writing in a notebook, and Boone, after a brief glance at Jake, leaned back and closed his eyes as if he were trying to pretend he wasn’t a part of what was going on.
When Dev saw Jake she shot him a dazed look, and he hurried over to her. “Sorry it took me so long to get here. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” Devereaux took his hand, and he sat next to her. She tightened her grip on his fingers and asked, “Why the delay?”
Jake explained the situation with the jerk out front, then said, “So I parked at your house and walked through the field.”
“Smart.” Dev gave him a tiny smile. “Sorry I didn’t get your text, but I noticed that there are quite a few dead zones in this place.”
“More than you’d ever guess,” the chief murmured, his lips quirking upward.
“Oh?” Jake rubbed his thumb over Dev’s knuckles and glanced at the chief.
“When my officers searched the house, they found Roberta Malone’s body.”
“Was she murdered, too?” Jake asked. “Gabriella didn’t mention anyone else being held captive.”
“Hard to say for certain before the autopsy, but she was found in her bed, so it’s doubtful.” Chief Kincaid shrugged. “Although, if her death was a result of homicide, from what Dev’s told me about the letter she left with her attorney and the state of decomposition, it was at least a couple of months ago.”
“Any indication of why McGowan picked this place to hold Gabriella?” Jake asked.
“Most likely he saw the article in the paper about the fire and thought it was an abandoned house.” Chief Kincaid studied his notes. “Evidently, the only one aware that Miss Malone was still residing here was her attorney. I called the fire chief and he checked his reports. There was no mention of the place being occupied. I surmise that while the firefighters inspected the place, Miss Malone holed up somewhere else. She probably came out of hiding once they were gone and passed away at some later date.”
“So McGowan broke in through the back door and set up camp,” Dev said slowly. “Do you think he knew Roberta’s body was upstairs?”
“The techs said the only footprints in the dust on the stairway were the officer’s that found her.” The chief rubbed the back of his head. “So the evidence suggests that he was unaware of the deceased’s presence.”
Before Chief Kincaid could go on, the ME came into the parlor and said, “Could I see you in the kitchen for a moment, Chief?”
Once both men had left the parlor, Dev lowered her voice and said, “Gabriella told us she was held in a basement, right?”
“Yes.” Jake studied Devereaux. Where was she going with this line of inquiry?
“I overheard an officer say that the basement had a foot of standing water.” Dev wrinkled her brow. “I can’t see Mac keeping her down there.”
“You’re right.” Jake glanced at Boone, who still appeared to be in his own little world. “Gabriella would have been in a lot worse shape physically if she’d been in the water for four or five days.”
“That was what I thought, too.” Dev frowned, then said, “I wonder why she lied.”
“I don’t know.” Jake scratched his jaw. “But something doesn’t feel right about this whole thing.”
Devereaux opened her mouth, but the chief returned before she spoke and said, “You all can go ahead and leave. Stop by the station tomorrow morning to give your statements.”
“Any sign of the ransom money?” Jake asked the chief as they all walked into the vestibule.
“Not so far.” The chief shook his head. “But this place has a lot of hidey-holes. It’ll take us several hours to process the entire house.”
When Jake, Dev, and Boone got to Boone’s car, Dev took the keys from Boone and said to Jake, “Want a ride to your truck?”
“No. When I walked over here, I noticed a path of flattened grass. I want to take another look at it.” Jake kissed Devereaux on the forehead. “How about you drop off Boone and I’ll come get you at his place? We can go to the Golden Dragon for an early dinner. We need to compare notes and figure out what’s hinky about this case.”
“Definitely.” Dev turned on the car. “Give me an hour to make sure Boone is okay.”
“Deal.” Jake waited until Dev drove out of the driveway before heading to the backyard. There was something he was missing in this situation, and it would gnaw at him until he figured it out.
As he slowly retraced his steps through the meadow, carefully examining the ground, Jake was more and more convinced that someone had recently taken this shortcut between the Malone and Sinclair properties, and more than once. But if Roberta Malone had been dead for a couple of months, it couldn’t have been her.
Then again, why would Mac McGowan use this route instead of driving straight to the Malone place? The house was isolated enough that it was unlikely anyone would notice his comings and goings, and even if there was no garage, he could have pulled his car behind the house to keep it out of sight.
Once Jake reached the Sinclairs’ yard, there was no further evidence of a path. The grass looked as if it had been freshly mowed that morning. Deveraux had mentioned that her father was a little fanatical with keeping the lawn looking ni
ce. Unfortunately, Kern’s obsession meant any trace evidence was long gone.
Sighing, Jake walked to his pickup and climbed inside the cab. He turned the truck around to face the lane, then braked. If McGowan had used this means to access the Malone property, where had he parked his vehicle? He certainly couldn’t leave it in the Sinclairs’ driveway.
Glancing at his watch, he saw that he had forty-five minutes before he was supposed to pick up Devereaux. He’d check out the main road on either side of the Sinclairs’ land. Maybe he could figure out where McGowan had stashed his car. And if it was still there, there was a chance he’d left the ransom money somewhere inside of it.
After half an hour Jake admitted defeat. There really wasn’t anywhere within a five-mile perimeter where McGowan could have concealed his car. Parking it alongside the road for very long would have been too noticeable, and the police that patrolled the area would have investigated.
So if it had been McGowan who hiked back and forth between the Sinclair and the Malone property, what was the reason? Jake didn’t have a clue. Maybe Deveraux would have an idea.
After picking her up at Boone’s, Jake summarized what he’d discovered. As he drove them to the restaurant, Dev grew quieter and quieter. It was clear that she was taking in all the information and trying to fit the pieces together.
Pulling into the Golden Dragon’s parking lot, Jake recalled his uncle telling him that a year or so ago, after the Methodists put up a new church near the highway, they’d sold their old building to the couple who opened the place. Tony hadn’t believed that the citizens of Shadow Bend would support a Chinese restaurant. But if the crowded lot was any indication, the townspeople had embraced it wholeheartedly.
When Jake escorted Dev inside, the smells of ginger, soy sauce, and garlic reminded him that he’d skipped lunch, and his stomach growled. They gave their name to the man at the podium and took a seat on a bench against the wall.
As they waited, Jake’s cell buzzed, indicating he had a text. Swiping the icon, he saw Elliot Winston’s name on the screen: ANY CHANCE YOU CAN COME OVER AROUND SEVEN TO REPORT ON YOUR EFFORTS AT RECOVERING THE RANSOM? GABRIELLA IS GETTING RESTLESS SITTING AROUND THE HOUSE AND IS LEAVING AT SIX THIRTY TO MEET HER FRIEND MUFFY FOR A DRINK AT THE CLUB SO I’LL BE ALONE.
Jake ignored the message. He wasn’t ready to discuss the situation with his client yet.
He was returning his phone to his pocket when a stunning Asian woman in her early twenties approached and asked, “Del Vecchio?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Jake smiled.
The hostess smoothed her tight-fitting dress over her nonexistent hips and seemed to notice Devereaux for the first time. Her brow wrinkled as she gazed uncertainly between Jake and Dev.
Finally, the woman asked, “Is Dr. Underwood joining you? Would you like his customary booth?”
Jake was pleasantly surprised when he saw a flicker of irritation in Devereaux’s eyes, and hid his grin when she snapped, “Noah and I aren’t attached at the hip. Whatever table you have available is fine.”
What was that all about? Jake mentally shrugged, then took Dev’s hand and followed the hostess. Maybe everyone’s adoration of Dr. Dolittle was starting to bug Deveraux, and if that were the case, Jake couldn’t be happier.
They were seated at a table for two tucked into a far corner, which suited Jake to a T. The location provided them with some privacy, and they wouldn’t have to worry about being overheard as they discussed the murder.
Once the hostess handed them menus and disappeared, Jake said, “I’m starving. Let’s order and then see what we can figure out about the case.”
“You read my mind.”
Devereaux’s smile made Jake’s pulse speed up. She was just so damn adorable. And the fact that she was totally unaware of her appeal made her that much more attractive.
When their server appeared, they asked for pot stickers to share, two hot and sour soups, a kung pao chicken for Devereaux, and a moo shu pork for Jake. He requested a beer, and Dev said she was fine with the hot tea and water.
While they waited for their food, Devereaux asked, “Ready to compare notes?”
“Sounds good.” Jake poured tea in their cups, and as Dev added half a packet of fake sugar to hers, he said, “Here’s what we have. Saturday night, McGowan, who is Gabriella’s ex-lover, kidnaps her and takes her to the Malone house. Either before he snatches her or once they’re there, he breaks a window in the back door to get inside. Because of the newspaper article about the fire, he assumes that the place is empty.”
“So far, I’m with you.” Devereaux nodded, using a chopstick to stir her tea. “Go on.”
“McGowan holds Gabriella at the Malone place from Saturday night until Thursday morning when she escapes.” Jake paused while his beer and their soup were served. Once the waitress left, he continued, “Monday night, Elliot Winston receives a ransom note. The kidnapper doesn’t get back in touch with him until Wednesday and then demands the money be delivered that night.”
“Which brings us to my first group of problems.” Dev took a long drink of water and held up one finger. “Why did it take so long for the ransom note to show up?” She put up a second finger. “How is it that McGowan knew the exact the amount of time it would take Elliot to get the money?” A third finger joined the other two. “And was Mac McGowan really Gabriella’s ex-lover?”
“My guess is that the note wasn’t sent immediately in order to ratchet up Winston’s apprehension.” Jake ate a couple of spoonfuls of soup before continuing. “And McGowan could have made Gabriella tell him how long it would take for her husband to access the cash.” Jake frowned. “But why do you doubt that the affair was over?”
After Dev relayed what Noah had told her, she said, “I know Mac was a player, but it sounds as if he’d found the woman he wanted to settle down with, and despite the incident in the hot tub and their so-called breakup, I think that woman was Gabriella.”
CHAPTER 24
I watched Jake’s face after I made my pronouncement, absurdly happy that he was thinking it over before responding. The fact that he always took me seriously and never tried to brush off my intuition made me love him that much more. I couldn’t wait to tell him that I had chosen him, but now was not the time.
“Okay.” Jake nodded slowly, took out a memo pad, and jotted down some notes. “Let’s put Gabriella and McGowan’s relationship aside for a minute and keep going with what we know.”
“Sure.” I gestured for him to go on while I finished my soup.
“The ransom was picked up Wednesday night.” Jake paused while the server deposited our pot stickers in front of him, and after thanking her, he continued, “Then, sometime Thursday morning, Gabriella shot McGowan and escaped, running until she got to town.”
“Which brings up even more questions.”
I nabbed two pot stickers with my fork and put them on my plate before Jake scarfed down the whole order. He ate a lot faster than I did, so sharing with him was always a challenge.
“Go on.” Jake’s lips tilted upward, clearly amused by my attempt to safeguard my dinner.
“Where was Mac’s car? Roberta Malone’s house didn’t have a garage, and it wasn’t in the driveway.”
“I thought maybe he had parked his vehicle a little ways from your family’s property and walked through the pasture. But I examined the area for five miles in either direction, and there just isn’t anywhere he could have left it without someone noticing and finding it odd. And if it had been towed and impounded, the chief would have been informed and mentioned it.”
“I do think Mac was on our land at some point,” I said, then told Jake about the incident with Banshee and the “apparition” in our backyard. After I finished, I said, “That ghost could have been Mac.”
“True. Although it could have been someone else, too.” Jake polished off the remaining
four dumplings on the serving platter, and I was glad that I’d grabbed a couple before he got to them.
“Maybe. Anyway, I think Mac’s car was at the Malone house at least some of the time, because there were tire tracks already in the driveway when Boone and I arrived.” I ate my first pot sticker before asking, “What’s your opinion?”
“Right now, I’m keeping an open mind,” Jake said. “Anything else?”
“Well, it certainly looked as if someone was having a good old time staying at the Malone house,” I mused. “There were empty beer cans and wine bottles in the study and a comfy queen-size luxury air bed in the room across the hall.” I bit my lip. “The more I think about it, the more it looked as if it was a couple staying there. We agree that Gabriella wasn’t kept in the basement like she claimed, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Jake took a swig of beer. “And from what you described, your hunch that McGowan and Gabriella were still having an affair might be true.”
“The only clothes we saw were men’s.” I wrinkled my nose. “And from what little I know of Gabriella, she wouldn’t be happy wearing the same nightgown for so many days.”
“Maybe McGowan really did abduct her, but she pretended to go along to keep him from hurting her,” Jake suggested.
“I don’t think that’s what happened. Remember the scene at the Winston house was set up to look like a kidnapping. Since Elliot received the ransom note and Gabriella showed up, we’ve all been forgetting that. But there’s something else. I just can’t put my finger on it.” I closed my eyes and tried to catch the elusive notion floating around in my head. Finally, my lids popped open and I blurted, “I don’t think Gabriella was the victim at all. I think she was the mastermind.”
“Explain.”
“The soles of her feet,” I clarified. “Thursday, when you carried her into the store and she was lying on the blanket, I looked at her feet to figure out what size flip-flops to give her.”
Lions and Tigers and Murder, Oh My Page 22